Need help with high end build

[Bloodstriker]

I friend of mine is asking me to put together a high-end system. I'm a bit at a loss as to what components are needed.

Budget will need to stay under $5000.00 Canadian Dollars after tax. That would be around $4.4K US dollars.

The computer will be primarily used for gaming, surfing. That being said, the standing order is to build an uber-fast computer.

The friend is not an overclocker, but I believe that this person will ask me to do the OC a year or two down the road.

The current monitor will still be used, and is a 24" Dell @ 1900x1200.

The must haves:

i7-975 processor
GTX-295 (maybe even two of them?)
Intel SSD
and at least 2 TB of storage

Things to consider:

She's looking for a smaller sized case. What's the smallest case that will fit two GTX-295 and a TRUE120? Also, quietness is also a main concern. With that being said, she's also wanting something aesthetically pleasing - I convinced her not to buy Apple. Doesn't have to look like a Mac, but something sleek and modern looking without all the crazy LEDs. Think ----- girly. haha.

So far I'm at a loss with cases, but for the rest of the computer, here's what I have:

i7 975
Asus Rampage II (is this even needed?)
TRUE 120
OCZ DDR3-2000 9-9-9-30 6x2GB (Not sure if 12GB is needed? I think 6 might suffice?)
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 910W 80+
WD Caviar Black 1TB x 2
Intel X25-M 160GB
BFG GeForce GTX 295 x 2
LG BH08-LS20 Blu-Ray Writer (Option to just use BD-ROM/DVD Writer)
Logitech Dinovo Edge KB
Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse

Okay guys, lets see what you've got!

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Board
RAM

Definitely get the 920. 4.5Ghz capable with some... 3850A D0 batch are really good as seen in the overclocking of the Classified; mobo section here on Anandtech.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817703020 (7y warranty, but the 910 is probably fine, but since her budget is so high... :\ )
Case (gender neutral / badass) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811129062 (heatsink/fan for CPU cannot exceed 140mm tall, so be careful)
and the best HDD's are Western Digital RE3, Hitachi E7K1000, Western Digital Black, Hitachi 7K1000.B (in that order with the Black and E7K being somewhat of a trade-off)
SSD - look into getting a Foremay http://www.foremay.net/products/products.htm (my friend says they are a bit better than the Intel, not sure if that's true vs. the new Intel -E)

 

[M0RPH]

Originally posted by: Bloodstriker

Things to consider:

She's looking for a smaller sized case. What's the smallest case that will fit two GTX-295 and a TRUE120? Also, quietness is also a main concern. With that being said, she's also wanting something aesthetically pleasing - I convinced her not to buy Apple. Doesn't have to look like a Mac, but something sleek and modern looking without all the crazy LEDs. Think ----- girly. haha.

Hmmmm. Is this person really a hardcore gamer or are you just convincing her that she needs this stuff? I don't see how someone who was considering an Apple suddenly wants a monster gaming rig. A computer with those kind of specs is not gonna be small or quiet.

And most people will tell you that the i7-975 and GTX295 are just not smart purchases, no matter how much money you have to blow. Maybe you need to step back for a moment and think about whether your friend really needs this stuff, or if you're just trying to satisfy your own rig-building fantasies through her, and at her expense.

 

[Lunyone]

Originally posted by: M0RPH

Originally posted by: Bloodstriker

Things to consider:

She's looking for a smaller sized case. What's the smallest case that will fit two GTX-295 and a TRUE120? Also, quietness is also a main concern. With that being said, she's also wanting something aesthetically pleasing - I convinced her not to buy Apple. Doesn't have to look like a Mac, but something sleek and modern looking without all the crazy LEDs. Think ----- girly. haha.

Hmmmm. Is this person really a hardcore gamer or are you just convincing her that she needs this stuff? I don't see how someone who was considering an Apple suddenly wants a monster gaming rig. A computer with those kind of specs is not gonna be small or quiet.

And most people will tell you that the i7-975 and GTX295 are just not smart purchases, no matter how much money you have to blow. Maybe you need to step back for a moment and think about whether your friend really needs this stuff, or if you're just trying to satisfy your own rig-building fantasies through her, and at her expense.

I was just thinking that myself MORPH! An i7 975 and GTX295 aren't good buys for the $. A i7 920 w/good cooling and a decent case (Cooler Master 690/Antec 900 II) is always a good start. I'd even consider getting a 4890 1 gb and upgrading to the latest GPU out on the market in 6-12 months from now.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Originally posted by: M0RPH

Hmmmm. Is this person really a hardcore gamer or are you just convincing her that she needs this stuff? I don't see how someone who was considering an Apple suddenly wants a monster gaming rig. A computer with those kind of specs is not gonna be small or quiet.

And most people will tell you that the i7-975 and GTX295 are just not smart purchases, no matter how much money you have to blow. Maybe you need to step back for a moment and think about whether your friend really needs this stuff, or if you're just trying to satisfy your own rig-building fantasies through her, and at her expense.

I didn't know analytical psychology was really part of this forum. LOL

I edited the "hot and loud" part out of my post, but M0RPH is absolutely right. This thread is weird...

*Also, I have an external HDD case that looks just like a Mac Pro but 6" tall. It's a Macally FW/USB/eSATA case. You can have her get that too, AND IT'S PRACTICAL!!! (backup your stuff)

 

[Bloodstriker]

Originally posted by: M0RPH

Originally posted by: Bloodstriker

Things to consider:

She's looking for a smaller sized case. What's the smallest case that will fit two GTX-295 and a TRUE120? Also, quietness is also a main concern. With that being said, she's also wanting something aesthetically pleasing - I convinced her not to buy Apple. Doesn't have to look like a Mac, but something sleek and modern looking without all the crazy LEDs. Think ----- girly. haha.

Hmmmm. Is this person really a hardcore gamer or are you just convincing her that she needs this stuff? I don't see how someone who was considering an Apple suddenly wants a monster gaming rig. A computer with those kind of specs is not gonna be small or quiet.

And most people will tell you that the i7-975 and GTX295 are just not smart purchases, no matter how much money you have to blow. Maybe you need to step back for a moment and think about whether your friend really needs this stuff, or if you're just trying to satisfy your own rig-building fantasies through her, and at her expense.

Oh she definitely does not need this stuff, however she wants the fastest rig that she can get for her budget. I've already explained that there's diminishing returns at this point, but.....I think the goal for her is bragging rights.

I'll try to convince her again to step it down a notch. I'm not so sure a 920 D0 will fly with her though. She wants out of the box speed.

Edit: To clarify about the Apple thing. She's a PC user. She just liked the form factor of the Apple. Games wise, nothing really heavy... some FPS, RTS, and WoW.

 

[yh125d]

Assuming she's really a friend, and you're the tech smart one, you have a responsibility to convince her that her wasting money is not a good idea, and it's what she's doing

 

[Knavish]

If you want to blow that kind of money on a computer, why not build a dual-quad xeon. Of course, then you might as well just go buy the Mac tower to get the purdy&quiet case since that seems to be a priority over the price.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Spend $1,000 - $1,500 on the rig and then buy a really nice HD projector.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

$1500 is the minimum for a well built i7 920 system, not including monitor, sound system, UPS, or keyboard and mouse.

 

[575]

Originally posted by: Bloodstriker

Oh she definitely does not need this stuff, however she wants the fastest rig that she can get for her budget. I've already explained that there's diminishing returns at this point, but.....I think the goal for her is bragging rights.

I'll try to convince her again to step it down a notch. I'm not so sure a 920 D0 will fly with her though. She wants out of the box speed.

Edit: To clarify about the Apple thing. She's a PC user. She just liked the form factor of the Apple. Games wise, nothing really heavy... some FPS, RTS, and WoW.

This girl sounds way more like a guy If she really wants bragging rights, shouldn't you be suggesting a flashy gamers' case and lots of blue LEDs?

On a more helpful note- the 12GB of RAM originally spec'd is absolutely nuts for simple gaming, and a 910W PSU sounds like overkill even with 2 graphics cards.

 

[Bloodstriker]

Okay, so now that I told her about all of your comments, she's now willing to spec the computer a bit more reasonably - with a catch. Since I'm building a computer for my father, she wants to see it before she buys.

What do you guys think of the following build?

i7 920
Asus P6T SE
Patriot Extreme Performance 3X2GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24
BFG GeForce GTX 260/275 or ATI HD4870/HD4890 ???
Intel X25-M 80GB SSD SATA
WD 1TB Caviar Black
Prolimatech Megahalems LGA1366 Heatsink
Noctua NF-P12-1300 120MM HSF
Antec Sonata III (Earthwatts 500W PSU included)

My quesitons are:

1. Will all of this fit into the case? (Looking for best of the four vid cards that will fit.)
2. Is the included 500W Earthwatts sufficient for this build? and if I want to do a minor OC to say...3.2GHz?
3. Given that the build is fine, how is airflow and cooling for this case/cpu/heatsink combo? (I'm thinking it might be too crammed?)
4. For the SSD - what's the difference between this and the X25-M SATA2?
5. Any suggestions/critiques?

Thanks for all your help guys. I really wish I could just get a P183 and stuff everything inside....however, both my father and friend are a fan of form factor and think the P183 is too big.